Classical Conditioning

Classical Conditioning

1. Neutral stimulus (NS): Any environmental stimulus that doesn't naturally produce a behavioural response, eg. a chair doesn't produce a fear response

2. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS): Any stimulus that produces a natural unlearnt behavioural response, eg. sun makes you squint naturally

3. Conditioned stimulus (CS): A stimulous that has been associated with an UCS so that it now produces the same response as the UCS on its own

4. Unconditioned response (UCR): Any response that occurs naturally without learning, eg. squinting against the sun

5. Conditioned response (CR): A learnt behaviour that is shown in response to a CS

6. Extinction: Unlearning a CR by weakening the link between eg. food and the bell, by playing the sound of the bell without food so the CR goes away

7. Spontaneous recovery: If the bell and the food are presented together just once after extinction the CR can be brought back immediately, and the CR can recur for no apparent reason

8. Stimulus generalisation: Dogs salivate at any stimulus closely related to CS, so when conditioned to salivate at the shape of a circle they start to salivate at the shape of an oval too. If you were to be bitten by a python you could start avoiding all snakes

9. Classical Conditioning refers to the process of learning through associating a NS with an UCS, which produces a UCR

   • If the association between the NS and the UCS is maintained, the same natural response will be shown when the NS is present
     • The NS is now a learned association and becomes known as the CS. The result is that we respond in the same way to the UCS and the CS